Booking through Thursday: Are You in a Reading Rut?

I'm participating in Booking Through Thursday today. Here's today's question:

Do you ever feel like you’re in a reading rut? That you don’t read enough variety? That you need to branch out, spread your literary wings and explore other genres, flavors, styles?

Well, I don't feel as if I'm in a rut. I do read a wide variety of books, but I purposely choose books that I'm pretty sure I'll enjoy.

With the exception of biographies, I read fiction almost exclusively--so the case could be made that I need to include more nonfiction into my reading diet.

But why? I read plenty of books in school and college only because I had to. I don't feel that my leisure reading should be a "have-to" kind of thing.

I do have some guidelines in what I read. I think the following statement sums up my leisure reading philosophy:

Any book that is not ultimately redemptive, uplifting, and/or enjoyable, is a waste of my time.

(This doesn't mean that a book has to be totally happy and fluffy. It just means that whatever sad or disturbing things the book takes me through, it must ultimately justify me spending my valuable time on it and subjecting my thoughts and emotions to it. It MUST have some redeeming value, even if "quality entertainment" is pretty much the only redeeming value!)

So, I guess the answer is no...I don't feel I'm in a reading rut! :)